Transcendent Rose (Phantom Rose Part 2)
by GateMasterGreen
Summary: Ruby, Blake, and May have arrived in Menagerie in search of information on Adam and maybe have some down time along the way? Plots stir about the island and the three of them will have to figure it out in time. Elsewhere, Yang and Weiss pave a different path alongside Qrow. RubyBlakeMay, WeissYang. Rating may go up. Pairings may change.
1. Chapter 1

... _I'm baaaaaaack…._

Yo Peeps, GateMasterGreen here with chapter one of the second arc of Phantom Rose. It's been awhile, but some stuff has happened. One, the discord group got a massive overhaul and looks better than ever, check out my profile page for the link. Two, I now have a fully workable computer, which is a huge step up from the dinky little laptop that I was using before. It means I'm able to edit thing's a little more painlessly and that I have access to some old drafts, since I can now use Drive again.

For newcomers, check out Phantom Rose on my profile before you read this. It's a bit obvious, but better safe than sorry to have said. Story time.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Blue water stretched as far as the eye could see, waves building across the surface before crashing in on itself. The sun reflected off various points in the sea, light glittering like diamonds among the waves. Perched atop the water was a large ship, stoic majesty amongst the wild freedom of the sea below. It continued its journey, uncaring of the waves striking at its exterior. Soon, though, its destination was within sight.

What seemed like a dot on the horizon moments before grew to become the shore of an island. Tropical vegetation wrapped around obvious human habitation. Or should it be said, Faunus habitation? As the ship drew closer, the people living on the shoreline were soon visible. Various animalistic traits marking them as Faunus. The shore belonged to the island nation of Menagerie.

Soon the ship was docked in the port and its inhabitants vacated. A girl with a white cloak atop her shoulders was the first to step onto the docks. Her dark hair was cut short with tinges of red at the ends. Her face was round and her eyes large and silver. She wore a black corset, tied with red cords, and a combat skirt of similar colors.

Behind her trailed her two companions. The first wore a long white tailcoat. Beneath lay a black crop top with diamond shapes cut out around her neckline. Tight fitting black pants and thigh-high boots finished off the outfit. A long flowing mane of black hair framed her face, but the most notable features were her gold eyes and the two cat ears atop her head.

The final member however, looked rather uncomfortable in the heat. A large baggy jacket, red with various white stripes and black sweats. Combined with a beanie that was pulled down to cover her left eye. The remaining one was a dark steely grey. In the heat of the day, it was obvious she was miserable.

"Why is it so dust-forsaken hot here?" May, the beanie wearing one, asked. "If I'd have know, I may have gotten a lighter coat or something."

Blake, the one with cat ears, answered. "Sorry, May. To be honest, it slipped my mind."

"On the bright side," cut in the last of the three, Ruby. "We can go shopping for clothes later. If we're here to get information about the White Fang, it would do to look the part of someone who lives here."

May remained silent, debating with herself as they all followed Blake's lead. After all, this was where Blake was raised. The cat Faunus lead them from the docks and into the marketplace. Ruby and May were surprised by how packed the street was, but Blake hardly seemed fazed by the sight, walking along with a smile on her face as she continued along.

For Ruby it was fascinating to see all these Faunus. The number of them at Beacon was hardly anything of note, but the opposite was true here. As they made their way past the marketplace, they reached the actual streets of Kuo Kuana. Small houses lay on either side of the rode, humbly built with thatched roofs and resting on stilts, to avoid flooding.

As they passed house after house, building after building, it became obvious where Blake was leading them. Not once did she stray to one house or another, but kept walking towards the largest one within view. It lay at the end of the sloping road, raised above the other houses and noticeably better in its construction. Whereas everything else was made with simple materials, this house was made to last.

The trio soon found themselves at the foot of the stairs leading up to the front door. Blake took quick strides up them, skipping over some as she headed for the door, Ruby and May in tow. She paused before the door and took a deep breath. "It's good to be home," she muttered, garnering smiles from the two behind her. A matching grin stole at her face as she knocked on the door.

A voice could be heard as the door opened. "Chieftain Ghira and his wife are not here-" The guard answering the door froze, when he saw who stood outside. "Oh, Miss Blake, you've come home. Your parents aren't here currently, but you're more than welcome to come in." He pulled the door open and motioned them in.

Blake and the others strode past, the cat Faunus pausing and turning to the guard. "My parents are on their way from the docks. They came to visit me in Vale and I returned with them to take care of some business."

The guard nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. We'll get everything in order for their arrival. Shall I show your guests to their quarters?"

"No thank you," Blake replied. "But I'll introduce you, so you can let the others know." She pointed at the cloaked girl. "The short one is Ruby Rose, and the one who's probably suffering from heat stroke is May Zedong. I'll be taking them to the main sitting room, if you could have someone fetch us some cool drinks, please."

"Of course, ma'am." He scurried off to do as she asked.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Blake lead them into a room adjacent to the main entryway. A rather simple coffee table lay in the middle of the room, facing a mounted screen on the wall with a couch accompanying it. Large bookcases hugged the walls, and a few potted plants dotted the corners of the room. One wall had glass doors leading to a side balcony, letting in generous amounts of natural lighting.

The three sat down on the couch and a servant soon entered with the requested drinks before leaving them in peace. May watched the door close before turning to Blake. "Is it likely that any more of them will check on us?"

The Faunus shrugged. "Not for a bit. Why?"

"This heat is ridiculous!" May nearly screamed, shrugging off her coat, exposing the small black tank top she wore beneath it. She grabbed one of the drinks and began sipping at it. She noticed the other two looking at her with amused smiles. "What?"

"Nothing!" they parroted.

A knock on the window had May jolting in surprise and letting out a yelp. She set the drink down quickly and made a scramble for her jacket. Ruby and Blake turned to the balcony and saw a familiar red gauntlet waving from the frame of the glass. Blake groaned. "Why is he here?"

Ruby shrugged. "Guess we'll find out." Pecking Blake on the cheek she zoomed over to the balcony in a flurry of white and red rose petals. Sliding the door open, she popped her head out and waved. "What are you doing here Sun? And why are you standing over there?"

Sun was tall and built, muscles showing beneath his opened white shirt. He wore torn short and had blond hair and a mischievous smile, with a blond money tail curled lazily behind him. He fiddled with his collar and laughed. "Didn't wanna walk in on ya, if you three were busy."

Ruby blushed crimson at the insinuation. "We weren't doing anything!"

Blake walked up behind Ruby and patted the girl's back reassuringly. "He knows. He looked in here beforehand, otherwise how did he know we were in here?" She leveled an unamused stare at the boy. "Besides, one wall is entirely windows. There's no privacy in here."

The monkey Faunus fumbled with his words trying to form an apology, but the glares levied against him shut him up. "Sorry."

Blake rolled her eyes. "But seriously, why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the rest of your team right now?"

Sun shook his head. "I wanted to make sure you three would be okay and my team and I wouldn't be accomplishing much back at our school."

The caped girl cocked her head. "Then why aren't they here too?"

"I'm the only one good at being a stowaway."

"You ditched them," summed up Blake.

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but shut it at her glare. "I ditched them." The slap he received hardly surprised him and his aura took much of the sting away, but that didn't matter. It still hurt like a bitch.

Or, well, a cat…

 **End…**

Well, here we go. Back in the game. Also, check my profile page for the Discord if you want join us there and I'll be posting a poll as well. Whether I implement the result of it is a toss up, but it's just to get an idea of what y'all would be okay with. Adieu for now!


	2. Chapter 2

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 2 of TR. So, I'mma be honest, when I went to bed the night I uploaded chapter one, I wasn't expecting the 200+ emails I got with all these favorites and follows. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Would've uploaded sooner, but work is a thing, so, I'll get started.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

A whining Sun was turned over to the servants and shown to his own room. With the nuisance removed, the girls returned to the couch. May, hesitantly this time, shrugged off her jacket and reclaimed her drink. She glanced at the other two before taking a sip. "So, what should we do, then?"

Settling back down, Blake sighed. "Aside from harming Sun some more? I'm not sure what to handle first."

Ruby chipped in. "I do think we should get our outfits sorted out. While the heat isn't too bad for me, it's obvious it's bothering May and I'm not exactly the most inconspicuous looking person on the island."

Blake nodded. "True enough. Afterwards we should speak to Mom and Dad about trying to contact the current leader of the White Fang."

Silver eyes widened. "What?! Blake, weren't they trying to kill us just a couple weeks ago?"

"They were," Blake admitted easily. "Sienna Khan, though, isn't the type to commit to such an act. She may have disagreed with my parents on how the White Fang should be handled, but she isn't the type of extremist that Adam has proven himself to be."

May looked a bit uneasy at the idea. "But seriously? We're just going to arrange a meeting with the White Fang. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but me and Ruby are human! They'd act on that alone, Blake."

Amber eyes drifted to one of the walls as Blake's mind wandered. "I could go myself."

"Like we'd let you go alone!" May retorted, Ruby nodding in agreement.

Ruby glanced between the two, her own mind awhir with ideas. "Um, guys?" May and Blake turned to her. "Why not have them invite her here? Like you said, while she doesn't agree with your dad, she knows he isn't violent. This house would probably be the safest place to have such a meeting."

Blake pondered it before nodding. "Yes, that should work. I'll speak with my parents about it later, but first we do really need to get you both some clothes." She stood. "I think Mom has some spare clothes somewhere."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

An hour later and the girls emerged in their new outfit. Ruby had taken one of Blake's crop tops, but her white cloak still hung loosely on her shoulders. She wore simple white shorts and a red slip of fabric across her hip. Gone were her combat boots, swapped out for slim sandals, though deceptively resilient, despite their delicate design. Lastly, two metal bangles clung to her left bicep.

Beside her, May's outfit had changed drastically in some ways, but not others. Her beanie and jacket remained, though the latter was open now, revealing a black tube top below. Slim black shorts hugged her thighs, her pale skin striking a stark contrast with the dark fabric. She wore similar sandals to Ruby. Unlike the cloaked girl, she seemed very uncomfortable. Tugging at the open hem of her jacket, she shuffled awkwardly. "Is this really necessary?"

Blake snickered. "Yes, May. Do you feel like your overheating still?"

May looked down at her outfit. "Well, no, not anymore." She looked at other two who were staring intently. Warmth rose to her cheeks and she pulled at her jacket again. "And it's hot again." She squirmed while the other two giggled. Pouting, she shoved Blake. "It's not funny!"

She was pulled into the Faunus' arms, being pressed up against the other girl's chest. "You're right, but you look so cute when you act like that." Holding May at arms length, she smiled softly. "You look really good, May."

Ruby joined the hug, wrapping her arms around the two. "Yup! You look super pretty."

Blushing up a storm, May hid her face in Blake's chest, but enjoyed the moment nonetheless. A knock on the door had the three split apart as it cracked open and Blake's mother entered. She took a glance at the girls' new outfits and smiled brightly. "Oh, you girls look wonderful. My daughter is so lucky to have such beautiful mates."

"Mom!" Blake shouted indignantly, cheeks flaring red.

Kali seemed nonplussed. "I don't see you denying it, dear." Seeing the defeated look on Blake's face, she nodded to herself before turning back to the other two. "Ghira wanted me to come see what you three wanted for dinner." When Blake opened her mouth to speak, Kali beat her to the punch. "You already know he's making fish regardless. I just want to know what they want."

"Fish is fine, ma'am," Ruby replied. "Do you happen to have any strawberries?"

"We do, I believe." Kali replied. "Would you like to head with me to the kitchen and get some?"

The cloaked girl was beside Kali in an instant. "Yes!" Blake's mom laughed lightly before leading out of the room.

Now alone, May separated from Blake. Fixing her hat, she kept her eyes trained on the floor. Blake noticed and her expression shifted to one of concern. "Are you alright, May?"

The sniper nodded before sitting on the ground and hugging her knees. "It's just a huge change of pace. I'm just a bookworm from Vacuo, yet here I am in Menagerie! On top of that, I've found the two of you and you think that I'm pretty when I know I'm not."

Blake sat beside her, bringing an arm around the girl and nuzzling her. "You may not see it, but you really are beautiful. Ruby thinks so, too." Pulling out her scroll, she took a peek at the time. "Do you want to sit here for a bit more before we rejoin Ruby?"

"If that's okay." May leaned into the Faunus. "All this new stuff; I'm not sure if I can handle it."

Amber eyes softened and Blake gazed up at the ceiling, tracing the worn grooves of the wood. "I suppose, but you do have Ruby and me to help out."

May snorted. "It should be the other way around. It is your goal after all."

Blake sighed, but nodded. "Indeed it is."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The two caught up with Ruby and Kali and soon enough, dinner was underway. Ghira joined them at the table and soon everything was in full swing. Tales of Blake's childhood shared with uproarious laughter and the embarrassed shouts from the topic of those stories. Ruby regaled the group with tales of their adventures at Beacon, Blake chipping in when needed, while the others listened intently.

"So your Headmaster launched students from a cliff into a Grimm-infested forest?" Ghira asked in disbelief. "That hardly seems likely."

Ruby snickered. "Yeah, our friend Jaune didn't know what a landing strategy was and Pyrrha ended up pinning him to a tree with her weapon." Realizing what she said, her smile wilted.

Ghira coughed. "So, what about the two of you? How did you end up getting together?" The pair glanced at one another before blushing furiously, a huge grin coming over Ghira's face as he noticed. "Oh, something interesting happened?"

"I'd like to hear this," Kali added. Noticing their growing blushes, she smirked. "Oh, come on, dear, you can tell us."

Blake stared intently at her plate. "Well, uh she kind of walked in on me when I was coming out of the shower, then asked me for a date randomly."

An uproarious noise echoed throughout the room as Ghira slammed a fist on the table, laughing. "I can't say I'm surprised. No man or woman can resist… er…" He turned to Kali. "What did you say it was, Kali?"

The Belladonna matriarch chuckled. "The Bellabooty." Ruby had tried, futilely, to disappear into her chair, the hood of her cloak pulled up. "Ruby, we're hardly upset with you. I'm sure that wasn't the only reason you asked her out right then."

May snorted in laughter. "A huge motivating factor, probably."

Kali nodded. "On a more serious note, though. Have you three considered your options for what you came here to do?"

The mood sobered quickly and Ruby spoke. "Blake mentioned that you could possibly contact the current head of the White Fang. We figured that inviting her here would be a relatively neutral ground to speak with her and figure out what Adam's part in this is."

"His actions are beyond the scope of even Sienna's plans," Blake continued. "She wanted equality, while Adam seems to seek genocide."

Ghira hummed in thought, folding his hands together. "Yes, it does seem like we need to get ahold of our former family. We'll contact her soon."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

A few days later saw the messenger depart to speak with White Fang. Coming upon the domain of Sienna Khan, the messenger was soon brought before the leader of the White Fang. Sienna Khan sat upon her throne, one leg cross atop the other. The faunus had dark skin, marked with darker stripes where visible. She was garbed in darker clothing, the black form-fitting dress hugging her quite nicely. A red cape hung from her shoulders and a dark sleeve covered most of her right arm. Golden earrings occupied both of the tiger ears that sat atop her head, amongst her wild black hair. A small red jewel sat between her eyebrows.

She took the proffered message, golden eyes tracing down the page. Her near constant frown deepened as she continued. Turning to the messenger, she spoke, her light voice a steep contrast to her strong presence. "It seems that we do need to speak. Let Ghira know of this and we can arrange further details later on."

The Belladonna's messenger nodded before being excused, swiftly leaving the premises to deliver her message. As he left he passed Adam Taurus, who was confidently walking towards the throne room. He stopped briefly to smirk at the messenger before continuing on his way.

Needless to say, it was one of the fastest messages he'd ever delivered.

 **End…**

Another chapter down. For the design of Ruby's and May;s outfits, I did actually sketch them up and have them for anyone in the discord who is curious as to what they look like. We had a fair number of people join the Discord as well, which is pretty sweet too. Also, remember to vote on the poll, if you haven't already. Adieu for now!


	3. Chapter 3

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 3. A majority of the reviews have been going on about a specific Tiger-Waifu (Gorsouul's words XD) and her continued safekeeping. I won't say here what I'mma do, because that's what this chapter is here for XD. But yeah, thanks for the continued support!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY…**_

Sienna's mind was hazy, flitting between darkness and brief moments of conscious thought as her aura tried to rectify the sustained damage. Each moment of clarity was marked with sharp pain and one emotion swirling through her entire being. Betrayal. Betrayed by the White Fang, by Adam Taurus, by her family.

The stretcher she was on bobbed and only agitated her wound, the hole in her abdomen bleeding and staining the sheet she lay on. She dare not open her eyes, lest the two carrying her finish what Adam had begun. Her mind was slowly regaining its grip and she was better able to focus, letting her senses focus. Torches hissed lightly and the footsteps of her procession told her that she was still inside.

Hopefully… hopefully she'd be strong enough by the time this short journey ended. What to do if she could get away, though? No one in the White Fang would help her, what with Adam seizing control. Her mind rifled through all her contacts, systematically eliminating one after the other for one soul reason; they were all Faunus and had served her in one sense or another. A thought occurred to her, restoring some small hope. In all the madness, she had forgotten briefly of the Belladonna messenger.

Ghira and Kali. A sour taste settled in her mouth at having to swallow her pride and ask for their help, but… She didn't have a choice. A loud click brought her mind back to the present. A low creak of the doors opening and a wave of heat hit her. Her somewhat jostled ride soon became even bumpier and she had to use all her will to keep from hissing out in pain and keep her breaths quiet and steady.

She was running out of time. As the thought crossed her mind, however, her stretcher was dropped and she internally screamed. "Here should be good," said one of the two.

The other one must have nodded, given she hadn't heard the response. She heard shovels hitting dirt and the earthy scent reached her, somewhat unfamiliar after all her time indoors. She swore she heard something else though, a slight thumping from where her ear lay against the ground. The digging continued unimpeded, so the two mustn't have heard. The slow pace continued, relentlessly.

"Hello, gentlemen," came the deep voice. Sienna began to panic. If he was working with Adam, he had to be incredibly strong. Her chances of escape were looking non-existent. To her surprise, the sounds of a scuffle broke out, two loud thumps followed shortly after by a echoed pair of bodies hitting the ground. A moment later and the slow footsteps resumed and stopped as he reached her. "Wake up." She stilled, fear rising. "Seriously. Like, I said, no one has to die today, so wake up."

Her eyes opened and she glanced up at his morose expression. Hazel stood above her, holding out a hand. Taking it, he hoisted her up roughly. She looked at him, grimacing. "Why?" She hissed. "Why are you helping me."

He shrugged. "Overthrowing leaders ain't exactly something that sits well with me." He picked up a shovel and snapped the spade off with a large cracking sound. Holding the handle out to her. "Here. I'm sure you know the way to town?" At her nod, he sighed. "Go, I'll cover this up and say you were buried. Don't get caught."

She took the long handle, using it to steady herself. "Thanks, but I still don't like you."

Hazel chuckled. "Never thought you would."

As fast as her injury allowed, she ran.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Ghira sat in his study, slumped heavily in his chair. His messenger had returned in quite the state, rambling about Adam Taurus' return to the island. A deep frown etched his features as he considered the issue. He'd need to tell Blake, but how would Sienna react to this. A long sigh issued forth as he stood and made his way to the balcony.

He let his mind wander as he viewed Kuo Kuana, the small dots of people moving to and fro. He felt his mind ease as he was reminded of his purpose in being Chieftain. A loud knock on the door had him turn. He crossed the room in massive strides and pulled the door open, greeted once more with a panicking servant. What was with today, he mused. "Yes?"

"Sir, Sienna just arrived. She's injured and collapsed in the foyer and Madam Kali is currently tending to her." The servant paled at the dark expression on Ghira's expression. "Sir?"

Ghira growled lowly. "That was Adam's plan?" He looked at other Faunus. "Lead the way." The servant nodded and off they went. As they walked through the halls, Ghira could feel ire building in his chest. Not even a week since he returned home and already something horrible. He stopped before the door as the other Faunus bowed and returned to his duties elsewhere. Taking a breath to compose himself and stepped inside.

The room was smaller than most in the house, but warm light pooled in from the window, spilling over the tiger Faunus laying in the bed below the sill. Sienna lay on her back, incredibly still, but very much awake, speaking hushedly with Kali, the two feline Faunus discussing something heatedly.

"Kali," Ghira cut in. "How is our guest?"

Kali jolted in surprise before turning to her husband with a warm smile. "Oh, she's doing quite well, now." She waved him over and glanced back at Sienna. "Perhaps you can tell him what's happened?"

"No need," said the Chieftain, looking down at Sienna as he approached. "It was Adam, no?"

Sienna's eyes widened in surprise before she nodded an affirmative. "You're very perceptive, Ghira, though I shouldn't be surprised." She cast her gaze downward. "He's turned our people against me and now his arrogance has surely peaked. He believes the Humans should serve us." She closed her eyes, fists clenched in anger. "I only wanted their fear and respect. I want so dearly for them to see us equals, not the madness he spouts." She grimaced and calmed herself, looking up at the mountain of a man. "You need to do something, Ghira. He plans an attack on Haven."

Kali looked up at Ghira. "I'll go fetch them and we can figure this out."

Ghira nodded and simply watched as she exited. Taking the chair Kali had vacated, he sat down and placed his face in his hands. He noticed the curious gaze on him and frowned. "Ask, Sienna. We're hardly enemies."

A pained laugh answered him. "That may be true enough, but we were hardly friends either." Coughing, she continued. "Who is she going to get?"

"Blake and her mates." He answered. "A lot happened while we were in Vale and our daughter has returned with us to sort out this issue with the White Fang."

As if bidden by her name, the door swung open and Blake stepped inside, followed by Ruby and May. "You needed something, Dad?" Her amber eyes shifted to Sienna and the bandages on her midsection. "Sienna?"

Sienna nodded, her own gaze fixed on the other two girls. "So, Humans then?" Huffing, she closed her eyes and lay back down. "Why am I not surprised?"

Blake frowned. "They're hardly like the ones you despise so."

"I've no doubt about that," the tiger Faunus conceded. "Besides, I'm not so sure where to sit with my own kind at the moment."

Ruby cut in. "Why's that?"

Ghira held up a hand. "We've much to discuss."

 **End…**

More of a "filler" chapter, but kind of wanted to get this out the way. As per usual, check out the Discord, code/link on my profile page. Also, the poll is still open and I'd love your feedback. Adieu for now!


	4. Chapter 4

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 4. Sorry for taking a bit to update this, but I was trying to figure out where I wanted to go with this chapter. Luckily some deep thought at work led me to this idea. Thanks for your continued support. Due to the results of the poll it seems likely I try and integrate the two, but I'll still wait for a bit before acting on any of the choices.

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Blake sighed as she stepped outside, taking in a calming breath. It was dark, now. Hours had been passing swiftly throughout the day, with Sienna deep in conversation with Ghira over the state of the White Fang. Most of it had just been identifying who was wear and what Sienna had memorized of the group's make up. Blake gazed out into the dark forest around the estate and smiled softly. It was good to be home, she mused. She remembered exploring these woods with friends and the many adventures she had growing up in Kuo Kuana. Until the leadership of the White Fang had changed.

Not that she blamed Sienna. She could hardly do so, now. The woman's intent was pure and she didn't condone the malicious attacking Adam was so inclined towards. While Blake herself had strayed from the fear inducing efforts, she came to understand that a good portion of her reason to leave the group had been the doing of Adam. As her thoughts rolled from one point to the next, she scarcely noticed the crack of a branch.

But noticed it she had. Jerking her head around, her cat ears rotated slightly trying to pinpoint the sound's origin. "Hello?" She called out. She raked her gaze over the various chutes and branches, searching for some hint. There! A dark form resting in the foliage and a white masking glinting in the moon's light. A member of the White Fang! The figure seemed to notice her gaze because they ran. "Wait!"

The door behind her slid open hastily and Ruby ran out. "Is something wrong, Blake?"

Blake nodded, gesturing for the girl to follow. "No time to explain, but we were being watched."

Ruby followed swiftly before starting to overtake the cat Faunus. "I'll go on ahead and try to slow 'em down." With Blake's puff of acknowledgement, the cloaked girl disappeared in a flurry of petals.

Coming out of the treeline, Blake kicked off the ground hard and vaulted onto the closest roof. The full moon was fortunate as it lit up the entire roofscape of Kuo Kuana, allowing Blake to see nearly everything. Her amber eyes unfocused for a second as she tried to keep an eye on everything in her peripheral. A twitch of movement and her focus was drawn immediately. The clang of steel confirmed it. Ruby had found their stalker.

Making her way towards the fight, she noticed the figure clashing with Ruby. She wore a simple black bodysuit with no sleeves for the arms and a white mask donning two small horns. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and small pockmarks dotted her skin, seemingly like scales. Amber eyes widened. Was it truly?

The needle like sword the assailant carried batted Crescent Rose aside, as Ruby began forcing the woman back. It was painfully obvious how dominating Ruby's presence was on the rooftop. The open nature provided the needed room to swing her weapon freely, but the limited space to stand caused the scythe's reach to feel oppressive in its presence.

The flowing cycle of spins and strikes each driving the Faunus back before she'd inevitably had to retreat to another roof, only to be met with Ruby there. Each escape attempt was thwarted and it was beginning to wear on the teen. Ruby was flagging too, Blake knew, even if she didn't show it.

Each time she cornered the stalker, it came with a large expenditure of aura. Ruby's style of attack benefitted from directing the momentum of her weapon and letting it do much of the work for her, Ruby acting as an axis on which it spun. The assailant caught a break and managed to block one of the swings, locking up against the blade and pushing the leader of Team RWBY back.

She thought she had time to escape, but Blake entered the fray, pushing the girl back towards Ruby who had recovered and had resumed her stance, beginning to swing Crescent Rose anew. The Faunus knew she was beaten, but refused to go down so easily. Her sword made a slight cracking noise as its solid form gave way and she whipped it around herself, pushing the two back.

A slight crackle of noise struck the air as she glanced between the two before settling on Blake. The cat faunus regarded the girl for a moment, Gambol's blade held protectively between her and the other Faunus. "Ilia, is that you?" She asked gently.

The other girl straightened slightly, but nodded nonetheless. "I see that the news that High Leader Khan had been killed was a lie."

Blake nodded slowly. "What of it? Are you going to follow Adam into his madness?"

Reaching up, Illia pulled off the mask, revealing the light blue eyes underneath. Her scales and skin shifted, bright angry colors of red and yellow. "No! He attempted to kill our leader. I won't stand by someone as despicable as he."

Ruby tilted her head slightly, confused. "Then why watch us?"

Ilia sighed, her colors settling back to normal. "I was tasked to do so, but when I learned that Sienna lived, I had to process it. I hadn't even noticed you," she turned to Blake. "When you stepped out." Her tone was terse. "I served Sienna. I will continue to do so."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The group had made their way back to the compound and Ilia was brought inside. After meeting with Ghira and Sienna, Blake led her to a guest room. As they walked, Blake noticed the angry glare boring into her and sighed. Ilia was mad at her, but she couldn't figure out what about. They reached the room and Blake bade her inside. As Ilia entered, Blake followed, closing the door behind them.

When the door clicked closed, Ilia turned to Blake, frowning. "What?"

Blake pushed her hair back, huffing slightly. "What has you so mad at us? I kind of get Ruby and May, since they're human, but you've been looking at me like you expect me to burst into flame."

Ilia scoffed, plopping down onto the bed, gazing up at the other girl. "And what makes you think I'll tell you, just because you asked?"

The cat Faunus looked down. "I thought we were friends." She clenched her fist. "Seeing you upset is pulling at me and I want to know what I did to hurt you? Was it because I left the White Fang?"

A growl emanated from the other girl. She snapped. "Maybe it's because you left me!"

Blake gaped and stepped back. "What?"

Ilia snorted. "You were so moonstruck with Adam back then, you know? You never noticed me. I could accept that, no matter how much it hurt." She panted slightly with anger before screaming, "But the you show up again, with a girl on either arm! I could take the pain when I thought you didn't swing that way, but when I saw Ruby and May, every bit of pain I felt as I watched you moon after Adam came rushing back."

"...Ilia."

"I wanted you to look at me the way you looked at him!" Ilia turned away, her voice dropping. She brought her knees up to her chest, a sob escaping her. Her scales flushed pink as she spoke again, barely a whisper. "The way you look at _them._ "

A knock came at the door, and Ruby's muffled voice could be heard. "Is everything okay in there?"

"Y-yeah!" Blake called back. "I'll be out soon, Ruby. We're just… talking."

"Okay!" Ruby chirped. Footsteps could be heard as the girl walked away.

Blake turned to Ilia again, but the chameleon Faunus spoke. "Leave."

Blake shook her head. "No, I'm not-"

"LEAVE!" Ilia cut her off. She sobbed again. "Just leave me alone." She curled in on herself, looking so small on the bed.

"You know I can't," Blake said, tears in her own eyes. She walked over and sat beside the bed, placing a hand on Ilia's back. "I wish I had known. I wish I could've seen you, Ilia, but we can't change the past."

"Please, just leave me alone."

Blake sighed sadly. "Just for tonight. We need to talk about this, Ilia. I need to stop running from my problems." Getting up, she hugged her friend and left. What was she going to do?

 **End...**

There we go. A note, this doesn't affect the end result of the poll, since this information regarding Ilia's feelings for Blake is canon. The poll is still open, so feel free to vote. The discord is still available on my profile page and we're always happy to have more people. Adieu for now!


	5. Chapter 5

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter five. Sorry for the wait. I had about 75% of a chapter written a few days after last chapter, but couldn't figure out what to do with it and only really touched it today. Ended up scrapping it for use in this chapter, anyways. Anyways… ONWARDS!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Ruby woke the next day, blinking sleepily and yawning. As she sat up, she tried to make sense of where she was. A few moment of staring the bright wood and trying to think with her sleep-addled mind, it finally click. Right, Blake's home. Looking to her side, she expected Blake, but found May snoozing quite soundly. Without the beanie, her muted rosy hair splayed lazily around her and a cute smile on her lips.

A quick glance to her other side affirmed Blake's absence. Where had the Faunus snuck off to? Ruby needed to share this adorable sight with her other girlfriend! An idea popped into her head and she barely managed to avoid snapping her fingers with an "A-ha!" before her gaze went to the bedside table. Her scroll sat on its charger and she carefully leaned over, fetching it before snapping a quick photo of May.

Her prize obtained, the girl relaxed and reclined, leaning on an arm as she watched May sleep. Her heart felt so full as she observed the other girl, thoughts of the sniper and Blake bouncing around in her head and causing her to grin unabashedly. As the minutes passed, her gaze wandered from the adorable smile and she let he eyes wander further down the lightly tanned skin of the sniper. Down her neck and to her shoulders, thin black straps holding up the rather loose tank top the girl has chosen.

And while she couldn't see past her midsection, from the loose sheet covering her, Ruby knew what little remained. She flushed a little at the memory of a fairly simple pair of black panties that alone covered May's bottom half. Ruby had learned something very important the previous night.

For all her hate of heat and all thing incredibly sweltering, May maintained a healthy tan. Everywhere.

Well maybe not everywhere, Ruby thought. She hadn't actually seen everywhere, yet, so she couldn't say for sure. The scarlet hue in her cheeks deepened at the thought of confirming the idea, though.

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed May stirring until she found herself staring into gray eyes. May blinked in surprise before tilting her head in question. Ruby didn't say anything, but did grab a quick kiss from the girl, giggling as she hopped out of bed. Grabbing her cloak, she flashed the other girl a grin. "Come on! Blake disappeared somewhere!" Realizing what she said, she corrected herself. "Not in a bad way! Or at least I hope not. She probably just needed some food or something."

"Ruby." May drawled lazily.

"Yes, May?" Ruby blinked. "Oh!" She chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry."

The sniper snorted in amusement. "It's fine, Ruby." Tossing the sheets back, she couldn't help the grin at the audible gasp from Ruby. It was reassuring to know Ruby thought she was attractive. Grinning at other girl, she couldn't help it. "Like what you see?"

Ruby nodded and her mouth spoke before her brain could catch up. "Is all of you that tan?" Realization caught up and she blushed. "I didn't mean to say that."

May let out a loud laugh at that, though she was blushing too. Standing up, she padded over to the other girl and gave her a soft kiss. She pulled back with a small smirk, tracing a hand along Ruby's jaw. "Maybe later you can find out." Backing away she made her way to her luggage, sifting through it. After a moment she found a pair of athletic shorts and her undergarments before slipping into the bathroom.

Moments later and the two were making their way to the dining room. As they walked, the two heard voices carrying, Blake's being one of the two. Looking at one another, they nodded and turned towards the sound and headed for it. As they got closer, it was obvious that Blake was none too happy.

"We can't just sit around and do nothing!" Blake yelled. "If they even find out, we lose the element of surprise anyways. We should handle this now!."

The familiar voice of Ghira let out a sigh. "We need to exercise patience, daughter. I know you are worried, but for right now our best plan is to wait and see."

"And if that fails? If we're caught, so many things could go bad. Hell, Ilia could've informed them about Sienna without us having even known!"

Ghira grunted. The point was true enough. "We still need a plan, which I'll have to run by Sienna for details about the Fang as it is now. I'm not saying we wait for an extraordinary length of time, only a week or so, so calm yourself. Enjoy the time home, please." The pleading tone fell off and silence greeted them.

After a moment, Blake replied, sounding a bit terse. "Fine."

Suddenly the door flew open and Ruby and May stepped back. At Blake's glare, Ruby laughed uneasily, backing away. "Um, hi?" Beside her, May waved awkwardly.

Blake pinched her nose in annoyance, but relented and sighed. "Have you two eaten, yet?" Both shook their heads. "Come on, then."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Ruby downed another spoonful of cereal before glancing at Blake who was still brooding. "Are you okay, Blake?" She asked, trying to gauge her lovers feelings. She knew Blake was upset, but how far it stretched was something she'd prefer to confirm.

Sighing, Blake looked at the two, pulling at her hair in annoyance. "I was expecting everything to be fine, Ruby. For one week, I hoped we could relax and now I'm being forced to wait, as opposed to trying to handle what's right in front of us."

She put her face in her hands, a lost look on her face. "First Ilia and then all this. Everything went downhill in one day!"

May cut in. "We know you were upset last night, but does that have to do with Ilia, then?"

Blake nodded, not looking up from her hands. "She apparently liked me when we were younger and she thought I was straight because of Adam and I." She let out a broken sort of sound and the two girls circled around her, hugging her. "I just don't know what to do. I hurt her and I didn't even know it."

It was May who responded. "All right! Not to sound completely insensitive, but forget it for right now. If we don't get you to at least relax a bit, there could be trouble."

"But…"

Ruby cut in. "Nope! She's right, let's get your mind on other things. Like your dad said, we should wait the week out. As for Ilia, you both need time to calm down. Once things are more settled we can worry about it." She pulled Blake's face up, staring into those lovely amber eyes. Kissing Blake's nose playfully. "I'll even see if I can bridge the gap. But we need you to be smiley Blake right now, okay?"

Blake tried to contain the smile, but snorted at the childish notion. She hugged the two close. "Just for today."

The three stood and put their dishes away. As they were walking out of the kitchen, Ruby leaned in close to Blake, a conspiratorial grin on her face. "May said I could find out if all of her is tan later."

May flushed and Blake glance at the other girl, raven eyebrow raised. "Was I not to be included in this?" She sighed dramatically. "A true travesty, that Ruby is to be stolen from me because of a tanned lady from afar."

Kicking at the floor, May rolled her eyes, grumbling. "Of course I'd want you there too." She glanced at the other two who grinned at her. "Could you not?"

"Nope!" Was their joint response.

 **End…**

Alright, there we are. A quick update on the Discord server. We now are at about 50 or so members and we've even got a decent collection of emotes specific to the server. The code, as always, is located on the bio of my profile page. If you haven't yet, please take the opportunity to check it out. So many of y'all who have joined are really cool people and it's so nice to speak with you peeps.


	6. Chapter 6

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 6. So, uh, if you are reading this story, then you likely have read Phantom Rose and, well… IT HIT FUCKING 300,000 VIEWS! Like holy crap! It happened about a week ago and I'm so happy to see that so many people have enjoyed that story, and by extension, this too (I hope). There's not too much more to share, but thanks again for all the support!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Blake allowed herself to be dragged back to her room by her girlfriends, smiling at the playful bumps and light chatter as they went. Their happiness was infectious and she couldn't control the wide grin and bubbling laughter at Ruby and May's antics. When they reached the room, each girl went to their respective luggage. Blake grabbed her latest book, while Ruby and May fetched their weapons, the former of the two laying out a sheet for them to work on.

Settling on the bed, the Faunus let her gaze settle on her book, listening to Ruby and May as they worked on cleaning their weapons. Ruby masterfully disassembled Crescent Rose, cleaning each aspect of the massive scythe thoroughly before putting everything back together. May watched in interest, Ruby explaining as she worked about some of the specific choices she made in designing it. After her weapon was reassembled, she shifted her focus into helping May with her sniper.

May was surprised when Ruby offered to help with some of the aspects of her weapon. It wasn't anything major, Ruby lacking much of the necessary stuff to do so, but the little tune-ups were more than enough for the sniper. With everything perfect, Ruby and May cleaned up the mess before heading to the adjacent bathroom to wash off the mess from themselves.

Once inside, and after they had washed up, Ruby pulled out her scroll and gestured for May to come closer. Typing out a message on the device, she showed it to the older girl, stifling a giggle at the growing smirk. May looked back to her and nodded. Exiting the bathroom, they put their plan to work.

Blake was engrossed in her book, so May circling around the bed towards her bags hardly got a glance from her. What did was the light tap on her thigh. Sighing, she marked her page and lowered it, amber eyes locking on wide bright silvers, Ruby playfully pawing at her. Rolling her eyes, Blake set her book aside and Ruby joined her on the bed, planting herself in Blake lap and kissing her, bubbling with laughter and lazily running her hands through the raven hair of her love.

A slight shift in weight on the mattress was the only warning Blake had of May's approach from behind before deft fingers were gently scratching at the base of her feline set of ears, Ruby's own joining soon after. Blake couldn't contain the purr that rumbled in her chest and leaned into Ruby, her head resting on the girl's shoulder. "No fair…"

The youngest of the three snickered, but relented slightly and brought one of her hands to Blake's chin. Raising the Faunus's face, she kissed her again. "You know you love it," she spoke, a taunting smile dancing on her lips.

Wrapping her arms around Blake from behind, May leaned over Blake's shoulder and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Besides, we love it too."

Blake turned her head, catching May's own lips in a short kiss before settling into the embrace. They enjoyed the warmth of it for a moment, but Blake own mischievousness broke the quiet that had settled. Her hands came up to Ruby's side, sliding under the light fabric before she tickled the girl's sides relentlessly. Ruby yelped in surprise falling onto the bed, Blake following after, continuing her assault, laughing as May joined in on the assault on Team RWBY's leader.

Ruby squirmed wildly, trying to escape their fingers, but there was to be no reprieve. "P-p-please…" She begged between giggles. "I c-can't!"

May took pity on her, stopping, with Blake ceasing soon after. Ruby was still breathing hard, shaking slightly in silent laughter and her disheveled appearance pulled at Blake. The Faunus straddled the girl and leaned down to capture her lips, growling lightly when Ruby returned it, pulling her flush against the cloak-loving girl. Nipping at Ruby's lips, Blake relished in the whimper the other girl gave out.

Feeling the bed shift once more, Blake felt a hand on her shoulder and leaned back, resting back on her legs and faced May. The searing kiss she received caught her by surprise, but she eagerly returned it. When they separated, Ruby laughed lightly, breaking the tension in the room. Her girlfriends look down at her and she giggled. "Not exactly what I imagined I'd be doing when we started this, but I'm most certainly not going to complain."

Blake rolled her eyes, a smile still plastered on her face. Reaching over for the book she had left aside, she adjusted herself on the bed to lay back against the headboard, a pillow supporting her back. Ruby and May situated themselves on either side of her, Ruby cuddling into her side with an arm over Blake's waist, while May rested her head on the Faunus' shoulder. Blake opened the book and began reading aloud.

May dozed off, not really having read the story but enjoying Blake's soft voice and the warmth she gave off. Ruby was paying a bit more attention, but had noticed May drifting to sleep, so she reached over and tangled her fingers with those of the other sniper. So, they remained there, Ruby listening closely as Blake warm tones weaved the story she had read so many times before.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The loud retort of Ember Celica announced the drop of another Grimm, the fearsome creature dropping to the ground and fading slowly. Yang turned, her blond hair fluttering wildly as she did, just in time to see Weiss drive Myrtenaster through an Ursa. They had gotten separated from the others, but didn't have time to worry about it. They were kept plenty busy with the large number of Ursa in the area, but Yang's mind wasn't too focused on that.

They still needed to reach Haven and aside from the large number of Grimm and a few wrecked towns, the journey had been about as expected. They had just reached a split in the road and had elected to head towards the marked name of a town: Kuroyuri. Ren had seemed troubled at the choice, but it would be the quickest way to Haven, according to Qrow, so the choice was clearly made. However, as they approached the town, more and more Grimm beset them and eventually the group was split.

A large and distorted scream issued above the woods suddenly, pulling Weiss and Yang's attention. The Heiress glanced over to Yang. "We need to hurry back to the others. I don't like the sound of that."

Yang nodded. "Yeah, I'd rather not find out what it is, but something tells me we don't get a choice there." She glanced around, not seeing any noticeable features to help them find their way, so she turned to Weiss. "Can I get a boost?"

In answer, a white glyph appeared under the brawler and launched her into the air. Weiss watched as Yang launched into the sky, looking around as she rapidly ascended. Gravity eventually reclaimed Yang and the teen fell back down, another glyph catching her, but a bit awkwardly.

Yang stumbled somewhat as she stepped onto the ground, Weiss hurrying over to help, but just a little late as the blonde fell onto her. The sudden weight nearly sent Weiss to the ground, but she managed to hold onto Yang, only dropping to one knee. Yang laughed in her arms and looked up at her, smiling mischievously. "Well, hello there." The smile widened as those lilac eyes stared into Weiss' glacial blue. "Most girls want to be swept off their feet, but I think I found what I want." She pecked Weiss' cheek. "Someone to knock me off mine."

Helping Yang steady herself, Weiss rolled her eyes and huffed amusedly. "Only you would want something like that, Yang." Checking to make sure everything was fine with Yang, she brushed aside some of the wild mane the girl had, blushing lightly at the mad grin that Yang had focused on her. Shaking her head lightly, she laughed and planted a kiss on those upturned lips before pulling back. "So, which way are we headed?"

Yang feigned confusion for a second, but conceded to the unamused glare Weiss gave her. Holding her hands up in surrender, she laughed. "Fine, fine." She jerked a thumb to the right. "Seems like town is that way. I'm sure the others will be there if they haven't already arrived."

The frightening cry from before echoed through the surrounding area, jolting both of them. It was much close and it seemed to tear at their very souls with it's horrific tone. They shared a quick nod, but darted off into the woods, once more on track to Kuroyuri, hoping only that they'd be reunited with their friends.

 **End…**

So, there we are! A bit of glance into what's happening on the Freezerburn side of things and I'm sure most of you know what the Grimm is that's coming. I'm closing the poll for pairings and opening a new one that's somewhat of a joke. It's about whether May should be tan all over XD. Be sure to check that out if you wanna vote! As always, the Discord server code is on my profile page, so please feel free to join us. We're now at about 60 peeps and we have a good handful of RWBY emotes to use. Adieu for now!


	7. Chapter 7

Yo Peeps, GMG back with chapter 7. Sorry for disappearing for like 2 months… Writers block is a hell of a thing. Combine that with work and all sorts of games with friends and time slips away. Other ideas had bounced around as well, but finally buckled down and wrote a new chapter for this. One final message before beginning this… SMASH HYYYYYYYYPE! Yup, that's it. Onwards…

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Pyrrha's hips shifted, heel sliding back as she adjusted her balance. Bringing her shield up, she braced herself for the strike from her foe; The massive limbs of the Nuckelavee whipping through the air quickly enough to cause a whistling sound. One of the Grimm's arms slammed into her shield and she felt her aura nearly buckle from that strike alone as it slammed her off her feet.

Shifting her weight as best she could, she caught the ground below with a hand, gripping the worn stone and pivoting into a crouch, sliding back on her heels. Before she could catch her breath, she had to sidestep as an arrow pierced the ground. Rolling to the side to avoid another of the projectiles, she kept the momentum as she rose back into a full sprint. As she circled the beast, some relief came by way of Nora.

A barrage of the red-head's grenades had the Nuckelavee emit a piercing screech. The horrific sound was piercing and Nora flinched at the tones, her next shot veering wildly. Off to the side, she saw Ren slip closer to the creature, peppering it with various rounds, while trying to do some lasting damage to the limbs that whipped around him. A strike from above caught him unaware and would have ended him, if not for the blur of movement signalling Qrow's arrival, a swift palm strike sending Ren flying away, but not wildly. He quickly righted himself, landing beside Nora.

Qrow straightened, batting aside an arrow with his blade, looking unamused at the Grimm. "This is a fine mess." Ducking under one of the arms, he backtracked and found himself pushed back to the others. Looking at the other three, he grimaced. "We need a way to pin down his arms, any ideas?"

"Our weapons don't seem able to pierce the Grimm's hide. If we could get one to stay still, Nora might be able to brute force one of our through it." Pyrrha shook her head. Where was Weiss when you-

A high ringing sound pierced the air and a blur of yellow shot past, slamming into the Nuckelavee with a thunderous roar. It wasn't a dead on strike, but the creature's left shoulder tore clear off of the torso as the main body stumbled backwards from the impact. The "yellow' missile dropped to the ground, rolling as she landed and she wisely retreated from the hurt Grimm. She saw the congregation of friends and smiled widely, lilac eyes flashing brightly. "Did you miss us?"

Before the others could respond, the dry voice of Weiss cut in. "Hardly the time, Yang." Glancing to the only Hunter in the group, she continued. "Pin the remaining limb, right?" Qrow nodded. "Then I'll attempt to freeze it. Yang, Nora?" The two focused on her. "Batter it from afar. Keep it distracted and I might get an opening."

The two quickly backed off, Yang swapping her ammo as she did, and began flinging their more explosive arsenal at the Grimm. Qrow Glanced at the heiress. "I guess we're support then," he drawled. He followed Weiss as she used a glyph to fling towards the remaining limb. As she caught up, she turned, sliding backwards and kicking out to maintain her balance, before using another glyph to correct her trajectory. She ducked beneath a swing, turning to skid backwards as she watched Qrow hook the arm, firing his weapon in a way like Ruby and causing the scythe to pull down, bringing the arm low. Realizing she wouldn't have time to catch the limb, she cursed, but an arm hooked around her and she was sent back towards the limb. Twirling as she flew, she realigned the chambers on Myrtenaster and stabbed downwards, frost encasing the creature.

Landing as she crossed over, she whipped her head around, finding Qrow with her gaze. "Now!" She screamed. Qrow nodded and shifted the weapon back to its sword form. Jumping up, he landed on one of Weiss' glyphs before it flung him down at speed, sending the blade clean through the creature's arm and the stone below it. The Grimm screamed again, but Ren made a mad dash for its chest, while Yang and Nora kept it busy. A simple curved blade in hand, he brought it down on the horror's chest, a sickening thunk heard as it broke through.

One final scream was heard before the Nuckelavee began to dissipate.

 **XXXGMGXXX**

Ruby rolled open one of the sliding doors leading outside, letting her gaze wander through the surrounding jungle. Her bare feet slid over the wooden floor as she settled down on one of the chairs that sat on the balcony. Pulling her legs under her slightly, she let the warm breeze embrace her. Pulling out the book she had resting under one of her arms, she leaned back and cracked it open, letting her fingers trail the worn paper.

Slowly flipping through the pages, she let the words flood her mind as a lazy smile pulled at her lips and a yawn stirred in her chest. Exhaling loudly she hummed lowly as she turned another page. As she continued reading and adjusting her position and reading some more, she began to lose track of time. Warmth faded to cool and then to a noticeable cold. When Ruby could no longer make out the words on the pages, she glanced up, blinking in surprise as she noted how dark it was.

A low rumble in her stomach made itself known and she giggled lightly. Patting her belly placatingly, she stood and slipped back inside, sighing as the warmer interior of the house greeted her. Turning a few corridors, she found herself back at Blake's room. She noted the light still wasn't on, if the dark crease under the door wasn't enough to tell her. Shaking her head lightly, she pushed her hair back and cracked the door open quietly.

In the light provided from the hall, she caught sight of her girlfriend's amber orbs glowing brightly in the dark. As her eyesight adjusted she noted May was still asleep, head laying in the seated Blake's lap. Ruby had to suppress a giggle at the sight. If May knew where she was sleeping, Ruby was sure she'd die of embarassment, given Blake now wore her normal black kimono/nightie. Given the Faunus' mischievous streak and the amused grin on her face as she stared at Ruby, the youngest of the three could surmise that Blake had elected to forgo her underwear.

Ruby laid the book she had on one of the dressers, closing the door behind her. A hand slipped into her pajama bottom pockets as she fished out her scroll, the dim light of it enough to navigate the darkened room. Quickly making her way to the bed, she settled next to Blake's free side. Leaning into the familiar warmth and the sharp sweet scent that was Blake's. Letting her head rest on the Faunus' shoulder, she let her eyes sweep down the ravenette's form before landing on the messy hair of May. The sniper in question shifted a fair bit and a low yawn pulled from her lips.

While Ruby couldn't see it in detail, Blake's own eyes noted the sleepy look on the girls face as her eyes opened before she blinked a few times. She noted in amusement as May's pupils dilated further to compensate for the dark. Slowly, but surely, confusion stole over May's face, wondering why her head was on something uneven. As she sat up, she placed a hand on her former pillow, trying to figure out what she had been sleeping on.

When the familiar feel of skin greeted her touch, her eyes widened drastically as she jumped up before losing her balance and crashing to the floor. Blake snickered loudly before standing up and stretching, making her way over to turn the room's light on. Closing her eyes in preparation for the sudden brightness, she laughed again as May squawked indignantly at the sudden light. Blake's ears shifted atop her head as she turned, honing in on the fallen girl's breathing, using the sound to navigate over to May. Reaching down, she offered her hand to the girl. "You alright?"

May grumbled, but took the hand. "Ye-" she cut off as her eyes rose to look up at Blake and caught sight of what lay beneath the Faunus' nightwear. If Blake hadn't closed her eyes, she'd probably have lost all composure then and there. As it was, she could've sworn she could hear the steam coming from May's ears.

"Something wrong, May?" Blake asked, a teasing lilt in her voice as she pulled the girl up and opened her eyes. Seeing the girl pouting, she giggled again and planted a quick kiss on the girl's lips. "You look a bit under the weather. Getting a bit overheated?"

Ruby's giggling could be heard from the bed as both turned to her. May was about to say something, but a pair of low thumping sounds echoed through the house. May looked puzzled and turned back to Blake. "Was that someone knocking on the door?"

Blake frowned. "Yes, but why would someone stop by at this time of night?"

"We should find out," Ruby replied. "Onwards!"

Releasing May's hand, Blake waved the other two on. "I need to dress a bit more decently. You two run ahead." Seeing the sniper's blush returned, the cat Faunus smirked. "You can always look some other time. Now, shoo!"

May was quite literally dragged from the room by Ruby. As they made their way closer to the front of the house, they heard the familiar rumble of Ghira's voice, though the sharp edge belied a more aggravated tone. As they rounded the corner, they were greeted by the hulking figure of said Belladonna as he towered over two men wearing red hoods and black vests, one with large fox ears poking through the hood. A slip of movement showed the grey tail of the other. Ghira spoke again, "And why do you expect me to know of the movement of a White Fang member? Shouldn't Sienna be keeping track of this?"

The tailed of the two spoke, his deep voice matching Ghira's easily. "We don't intend to insinuate anything; We are simply being thorough, Your Grace." Noting his brother's distracted look he turned. "Fennec?"

A slight look of distaste pulled the eared one's lips back. "Humans?" Before he could continue, he noted the stern gaze leveled at him by Ghira. Schooling his features, he bowed. "My apologies, Your Grace. Might I inquire as to your new guests?"

"Friends of my daughter, Fennec." A dangerous rumble tailed the response, letting the two know they tread on dangerous ground. "And quite wonderful Humans at that. On to other matters," he continued, breaking the attention from Ruby and May. "What's this I've heard of trouble from your branch in Vale? I witnessed some of it firsthand while visiting Blake and it seems that Sienna's control over the Fang is slipping."

The tailed one answered. "One of the other reasons we came, Your Grace. A particular member has started somewhat of an insurgency in our Vale ranks." He waved his hand in gesture and nodded solemnly. "One whom you may recall: Adam Taurus. We would have you know that we do not support his actions, Your Grace, and that he is not representative of the White Fang."

Ghira frowned, crossing his massive arms and stroking his beard, as if in thought. "Reassuring to hear." A patter of footsteps had him turn as Blake swept into the hall, wearing her outfit from the girls' first day here. "Ah, Blake, we have guests," he spoke warmly, turning to her. As his back was turned on the cloaked Faunus, his smile dropped and he caught Blake's gaze with a quick nod."

A passable smile appeared as she greeted the two. "Hello. I heard some of the conversation on my way out. It's nice to know my former partner will be dealt with." She noted the gleam in their eyes, but ignored it. The traitorous Faunus would pay later, but they needed them in the dark for now. "How is Ilia fairing? I haven't spoken with her in some time."

Fennec grimaced. "I'm sorry to say we do not know at this time." He motioned to his brother, frowning. "Corsac and I have been asking around in an attempt to find her."

Blake forced her face to fall. "Oh." She felt Ruby's hand settle on her shoulder and turned back to the teen, a very real smile in place.

Corsac's voice rumbled once more. "We shall let you know upon finding her, of course." He turned to Ghira. "Many apologies for disturbing Your Grace. We shall depart for now." Turning on his heel, he strode down the steps, his brother not a step behind him.

The door closed with a thud as Ghira turned back to them, motioning for silence as he ushered them away. As they reached the kitchen, he popped open one of the fridges, pulling a bottle from it and setting it aside. The red liquid within swirled and Ruby's eyes widened. A soft hum came from behind, causing her to turn as she saw Kali sweep into the kitchen, swaying past the girls and to Ghira, placing a loving hand on his arm and the other on his face.

Blake rolled her eyes at the display and prodded her two lovers, signalling for them to follow. She'd rather not see her parents all lovey-dovey.

 **End…**

Another one down! Well, as always, please feel free to check out the Discord, code on my profile page. The poll is still running for whether may is tan all over or not (who knows?). That said… Adieu for now!


	8. Chapter 8

Yo Peeps! Er… uh… sorry for the long fucking wait. Another instance of having the first part of a chapter all done nice and neat and then I couldn't figure out what next to do. Literally stuck on a transition and it ended up being so simple that I kind of feel dumb for it. The first paragraph after the scene break is literally all that was missing for me to continue… ANYWHO! Onwards to the chapter!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

Harsh sunlight beatdown on May as she traversed the bustling markets of Kuo Kuana with her two girlfriends. Squinting and pouting at the overbearing day, the Vacuan sniper sought for something much different among the stalls they passed. Any stop was merciful and saw her fleeing to any patch of shade as she watched Blake and Ruby shop. The only exceptions to this were a stand selling various decorative umbrellas that were very Mistrallian in design and an older woman selling a myriad of foreign books. The heat was forgotten for a short moment as the trio pored over the woman's supply.

May couldn't help the smile as she leafed through the old pages of a worn compendium of fairy tales from Atlas. Ruby came over to see what she had found and those silver eyes brightened when she realized what the book contained. "Blake!" the caped girl called, motioning for the Faunus to step over. "Look at this! All these old fairy tales." She glanced up at May, eyes pleading. May laughed and handed it to her. Ruby snatched it from her hand and nearly shoved into Blake's face.

Blake reared back slightly, but gently took the book from Ruby. Amber eyes slid over the pages, brightening considerably as she read. "Yes, this is a lovely find, May." She looked up at smiled warmly at the sniper, lips shifting into a smirk as pink hue flushed May's cheeks. Leaning over, Blake gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning to the woman who owned the shop. "Excuse me, ma'am. How much for this book?" she asked, holding the book up.

The woman, a Deer Faunus, glanced at the book before her eyes widened and a smile stole at her lips. "A good choice, that one." Her gaze carried some spark of sentiment as she eyed the book. "I've wondered when someone would pick that one out." She laughed lightly and eyed the three of them. "I now have the answer, it seems. As for price, ten lien should work."

Paying the woman saw them once more on the move and it wasn't far into their trip that a voice cut through the crowd. "Red? Is that you?"

Ruby's eyes widened comically as she looked around wildly. No one called her that, except… no…

But her ears and memory hadn't deceived her as she caught sight of a familiar bowler cap resting atop orange locks. That was where similarities in outfit ended when it regarded Roman Torchwick. Gone was the long white jacket, instead replaced with a short-sleeved button-up shirt, pink in color with brown buttons. The weird part was where he stood: behind a stand, with various ice boxes around him. The sign above his head read "Neo's Neo!" and bore the three associated colors.

Roman motioned for them to approach, a shit-eating grin on his face. "I never thought I'd see you three of all people while I was here." He gestured to the stand, looking quite smug. "Well? You like?"

Ruby's eye twitched slightly as she stared. "Aren't we enemies or something like that? Also, why are you here? And why ice cream?"

The theif rolled his eyes, crossing his arms dramatically. Flicking a wrist up, he lifted his fingers as he listed his answers. "In order; It was a job, we're going into hiding, kind of, and Neo likes ice cream." At their disbelieving looks, he let out a long suffering sigh. "My thoughts too, but it's not too bad, especially since the ice cream really helps with how stupidly hot this place is." He laughed. "Tourists are the best too, gullible suckers. They can't stand the heat, so five lien a pop of these little babies," he held up a neapolitan popsicle, "and soon me and Neo are rolling in Lien like no one's business."

May slapped her hand down on the counter, glaring at him. Lifting her hand, she revealed the lien card laying there as she snatched the ice cream from his hand. She looked ready to cry as she consumed the cold treat. "Evil bastard."

Roman quirked a brow before pocketing the lien slowly. "Thank you?" Turning to Blake and Ruby he smirked. "Onto other news; I've heard that Kitty's family here is causing some trouble for the White Fang. Nothing too destructive, I hope. I've grown attached to this little shindig."

"I fail to see why you care," Blake retorted. "Are you going to get involved?"

He waved her off. "Cool it, Kitty. You, Red, and the girl there don't need to worry about Neo and me." He adjusted his hat before leaning forward on the counter. "We've got a good thing going here and I'd much rather to ride out whatever storm is to come instead of getting pulled in. Didn't exactly anticipate the direction Cinder took things with Beacon, so I think that this will suffice for now."

He looked behind them at May who had just finished her popsicle and staring at the spotless stick it had once occupied. "Would you like another one, Beanie?" As she nodded, crying as she pulled out her wallet, he laughed loudly. "Too fucking easy."

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The next few days passed in an uneasy routine that prickled at May's patience. No one mentioned it, but everyone noticed Blake slipping back into old habits. Where Ilia was, one would never find Blake, and if Ilia appeared, Blake's exit from a room soon followed. The scathing looks from the reptilian Faunus as she watched Blake leave certainly did nothing to help and as May watched it happen, her temper flared. Bit by bit, with every dark stare and muttered word, the sniper's patience stretched thin.

Ruby had noticed too and after a brief conversation, the two had cornered Blake about it. The Faunus spoke of why Ilia was upset, but told them she didn't know how to fix it. If Ilia was set in being upset at her, Blake had decided to just avoid the confrontation. May sighed and had Ruby stay with their girlfriend, while she took off. A quick check of the house had her find Ilia in the library, the girl tracing her fingers over the spines of the massive volume of books. Gray eyes sparkled lightly, but quickly snapped from the bookcase and towards May. Scales turned red and her brow furrowed as she realized who was disturbing her. "What do you want?" She bit out tersely, gritting her teeth.

May blinked at the blunt question, but steeled her expression. "I want to know why you're giving Blake so much hell for just being here." She skirted around the former White Fang member, taking a seat at the small table in the room. "From what she told me, it really doesn't seem like it's her fault."

Ilia scoffed. "Of course she won't accept the blame. It's got to be my fault and now she's siccing one of her girlfriends on me." She feigned fear. "Whatever shall I do?"

Before she could continue, May cut in. "I didn't say it was your fault for what happened either." She pointed at Ilia, leveling a glare at her that made the Faunus recoil. "What's your fault is how you are handling it now!"

Ilia seethed, her skin shifting into a bright red, so much so that her scales disappeared among the mass of color. "SHE HURT ME!"

"BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TELL HER!" May screamed right back at her. Taking a breath, she stood and closed the distance. Her countenance unforgiving as she intruded on the other girl's territory. Jabbing her finger into Ilia's chest, she growled. "It's not Blake's fault that you didn't tell her how you felt. It's not Blake's fault that Ruby and I got together with her and you got jealous." Her eyes softened, but she didn't let up. "Just because it hurts, you can't lash out at her for it. I understand that you thought she was straight and would go for Adam, but if you hadn't hesitated, she might have accepted you."

Ilia's mouth opened and closed, trying to find anything to say to dispute it, but it was the truth. Her color bled out of her as she collapsed to her knees, tears welling up. She stiffened up as arms wrapped around her, pulling her against the bright fabric of May's jacket. "Why… why are you-?"

May shushed her, but didn't loosen her grip. "I know what it's like to watch from afar. My feelings may not have run quite as deep back then as yours seem to, but it hurts all the same." She lightly stroked Ilia's back, humming softly before she continued. "Blake has torn herself up so much over this, Ilia. I'm sorry for being harsh, but she's so important to Ruby and me."

The Chameleon Faunus had been horrible to her best friend and for something that Blake couldn't help. "I'm sorry," she murmured, repeating it like a broken record as May held her, as if she would break apart at any moment. May didn't say anything, she didn't need to. Ilia knew what she needed to do and that was all that was needed as far as the Vacuoan was concerned.

 **End…**

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, Discord code is on my profile page if you want to join. We are now over 60 Peeps strong! Adieu for now!


	9. Chapter 9

Yo Peeps, GMG here with chapter 9. *checks calendar* Sorry for the massive ass hiatus on this. It wasn't really my intention to be gone this long, but hey real life, shit as it can be, exists and does its thing. While not purely why, my own job kicked up to full time, so 40 hours a week of just working is always fun. The first chunk was not really me feeling up to writing and kind of toying around with ideas of what to do to start this chapter, but later on even more things came up. Even now, 4 days a week my nights are taken up by raiding on FFXIV. I can't promise better updates, but the current season has been fun to watch. Enough excuses for now, onwards!

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY...**_

 _ **With Team WY, Q, PNR…**_

Qrow eyed the dissipating body of their most recent kill with warily, ever cautious. Only when it was completely gone did he let his gaze drift back to the kids he was tasked with watching. So far their luck had held up, but as far as he was concerned, it was only a matter of time before things went sour because of his semblance. Turning his sight to the surrounding town, he took a quick moment to internalize their surroundings before closing his eyes and taking in a smooth breath.

As he exhaled, he felt a prickle at his nape. Pessimism rising, his eyes snapped open as he shifted into a more cautious stance. The teens around him seemed to take notice as they started to look around, carefree demeanours dropping as weapons raised once more. The silence building and only serving to raise Qrow's hackles ever so slightly more.

Finally, a loud bird call broke the tense silence as a raven shot down from the top of a nearby building in a tight corkscrew as it approached, only opening its onyx black wings moments before it reached its destination. A strong gust of wind washed over Qrow as the raven came to a stop, landing atop his shoulder, its black eyes staring deeply into his as its head cocked to the side, almost taunting him.

Yang was the first to speak, as she glanced at the bird. "A friend of yours, uncle? Didn't realize you had a pet." She sauntered over, smiling as she raised a hand to pet the bird. It turned to look at her, not flinching away from the hand as it came to rest on the bird's side. Rather than try to get away, the bird eyed the blonde curiously before lightly nipping at the hand once and gazing back up at Qrow.

Qrow only rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine…" Brushing Yang's hand away, he stepped back before shooing the bird from its perch, waiting for it to land as he turned back to the kids. "Not so much a pet, as a member of the family."

"Wait, Qrow is actually a bird?!" Nora exclaimed, eyes gleaming as her lips pulled back in a wide grin. "I knew it! See Ren?! I told you he was a bird."

The seasoned hunter in question slumped heavily, shaking his head. "That's… not what I meant." He saw the bird staring at him and he would've sworn it was smug as it puffed up its chest. "Just get on with it, Raven."

Before Yang could respond, a swirl of feathers kicked up around the tiny bird, obscuring it from vision before the commotion settled, leaving a women garbed in red, with a startlingly white Grimm mask hiding her face. A rotating chamber Katana scabbard hanging at her side glinted lightly as the woman shifted to take in the faces of the teenagers before her, only stopping when they reached Yang. "It's been a long time, Yang. You look like your doing well."

Again, her response was cut off as Qrow interjected. "Quit screwing around, Raven. You'd only risk Yang knowing if something was really wrong. So cut to the point and then maybe, once it's sorted out we can all freak out about this."

The woman, an exact replica of Yang, aside from her pale skin, red eyes, and black hair, nodded at Qrow's words. "Quite. Honestly, this wouldn't be necessary, if you'd been paying more attention. You've had a tail for the last good leg of your journey and not the nice kind either. Some kind of scorpion Faunus, it seems."

"Just my luck," Qrow bemoaned. "We're not too much further from Mistral and Haven. Surely there's more to this?"

Raven nodded, stern features tightening into a grimace. "The family has been contacted by our common enemy. To the point that the woman containing half the power of the Fall Maiden's power made an appearance, demanding to know where the Spring Maiden is." She heard a gasp, turning to look at Pyrrha. "Judging by your response, it's safe to assume Ozpin meddled one last time before he kicked the bucket." Shaking her head, she looked back to Qrow. "Honestly, allowing the Fall Maiden free reign like this, feather-brain?"

Weiss, tired of watching this, cut in. "Why should it matter that Pyrrha is here with us?"

"Have you really not explained the situation to these kids, Qrow?!" Raven barked out. "It's bad enough what Ozpin held back from us, but that you'd do the same. They should know why they're trying to get the Maiden to safety." She shook her head again. "Though that you think Haven would be safe, is another thing altogether. Long story short, Qrow, Lionheart is a turncoat and in the pocket of our enemies."

Qrow cursed, quite loudly, though at the blatant information cover up being pointed out or Lionhearts double-cross was up for debate. "Regardless of the fact, we need to get to Haven to get the artifact among other business. But you're right that the kids need to know, especially with these changes, but it will need to wait. We need to get moving if what you said about a tail is true."

Raven concurred. "Right." Drawing her blade, she closed her eyes before slashing the air behind her. "Camp is somewhat close to Mistral, so the detour should help shake your following friend and shorten travel time. Two birds, one stone, eh?"

Yang blinked at the obvious pun. Was that really where she got it from?

 **XXXGMGXXX**

The next day Blake awoke was one that was invariably strange. Sure, things like breakfast with May and Ruby went about as normal as could be, but the lack of anything bothering them was odd. The feeling persisted into the early afternoon before it clicked with the Faunus. Sat between her two girls and poring over the fairytale book they'd picked up the other day, she jolted up and looked around the living room. Noting her parents sat at the coffee table, drinking tea and going over paperwork, she let her gaze wander more. Something… someone was missing.

May seemed to notice her inquisitive look as she looped her hand loosely in one of Blake's. "Looking for Ilia?" At Blake's nod, she sighed, grey orbs dimming. "I believe she's retreated to her room to recuperate from our argument yesterday."

Amber eyes reflected a desire to help, though reticence at approaching such a volatile subject once more. "Is she alright?" Beside her, Ruby glanced up to listen to the response as well.

"Mostly. It was entirely a vocal argument, so physical trauma isn't something you need to worry about." May frowned. "She does seem sorry about how she's been treating you lately, especially after I explained how it wasn't anyone's fault but her own for not telling you how she felt."

Blake's grip on the sniper's hand tightened, lips downturning as she retorted. "But it is my fault. I should've noticed-"

"When you were having the most stable time of your life with the White Fang?" Ruby cut in. "I think that's hardly fair to put on yourself, Blake." Ruby rolled her eyes before taking the book, marking the page, and setting it to the side. "May is right; It's not your fault. Besides, it seems Ilia recognizes it too. Just give her time to sort it out and we can go from there."

A sudden voice behind them had the trio jump in surprise. "Seems like your mate has the right of it, kitten." The three looked up to see a smiling Sienna Khan behind them, her bright expression marred by some strain and a light sheen of sweat on her brow.

Ruby's own expression lit up as she turned to the dark-skinned Faunus. "Miss Sienna! You're walking again. You seem to be doing really well." She smiled widely as the other girls nodded beside her.

"Very kind of you, Miss Rose, but please no formalities. I hardly need them in a place such as this." Her golden eyes crinkled happily as she gestured to the room around them. "A place of kin and heart." Breathing in deeply, her features settled as she regarded the three girls again. "But I did hear the argument between your mate and Ilia and she did have the right of it, in this situation." Glancing past them to Blake's parents, she skirted around them. "I shall you leave you three be for now, though. I think Ghira would like a word, though Kali certainly can't stop smiling at me."

 **End…**

Chapter done! So yeah, already explained somewhat the long break. If you want to talk with me and other readers, I have a discord server! The code for it is on my profile page on this site or you can message me at GateMasterGreen#7777 for a link! We have a good number of people and even a place to discuss the most current season. It's not just RWBY stuff, so I'm sure you can find stuff to chat about with the others on there. Adieu for now!


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